Poison
by Blue Kitteh
Summary: -Sequel to Vengeance- After defeating Noxus and the Crimson Elite, Jayce and Vi are on the run as fugitives from the law. Despite trying to stay hidden, however, a turn of unexpected events will bring the two back their home to once more battle an evil that had stayed hidden for years.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: I know it's been forever since Vengeance finished, and I'm sorry for the delay, but I simply haven't had enough... motivation until now. With that said, I will try to update every few days, but because school is in session and crap like that I can't guarantee it. Anyway, here's the sequel, and I hope you all enjoy! :)**

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_5 years after the defeat of Noxus and the Crimson Elite_

Jayce and Vi had stowed away on a ship to Ionia, hoping that the peaceful island would serve as a retreat from the bounties placed agonizingly over their heads by Caitlyn. Word of their escape happened the day after the sheriff had set them free, and while swallowing her aching heart, Caitlyn proclaimed that the two former Piltovians would have to be caught using any means, offering a large sum of money to anyone who could capture them alive. In the meantime, Jayce and Vi had disguised themselves: after a long, tedious argument, Vi had grudgingly dyed her hair a dirty blonde, letting it grow out, and Jayce dressed in traditional Ionian garb and wore hazel colored contacts.

However, their appearances weren't the only issue. Vi was much too noticeable with her huge hextech gauntlets; same with Jayce's hammer. To resolve that, they had reluctantly stored away their weapons within the device that Caitlyn had given them when they'd first left Piltover: a capsule that would shrink any inanimate object and store it within.

At the moment, the two were visiting a local night market in hopes of finding out rumors, replenishing their supplies, and of course, to keep themselves updated on the state of Valoran. Vi scowled as they pushed themselves through the throng of farmers and villagers, the pair beaten on every side by vendors shouting advertisements for their wares, the odor of sickly sweet fruits and fresh meat mixed together, and the gentle shoves and nudges of other market-goers trying to get by.

"This is way too much trouble to go through every week," Vi grumbled, glaring at a man who had just shoved roughly past her. "Are you sure there's nowhere else we can go?"

"We've already been here for five years, and you ask me that every day," Jayce smiled. "Stop your groaning; we'll get dinner soon, all right?" He'd learned quickly that Vi's temper had a direct relationship with her hunger levels.

"It'd better be something good," she scowled in reply, her gaze drawn longingly to the street food held in others' hands.

The two visited each of the stalls in turn, buying dyes, clothes, food, and other items. By now, they had become regulars known in the village they were staying in, and although it took a while for the villagers to become accustomed to the Piltovian disposition of the two, they were finally accepted. The village was somewhere close to the Hirana Monastery - a beautiful place surrounded by forest and streams. There was even a path that led to the Monastery; a few hours' journey on foot according to the villagers.

In any case, it was a small place to live in, and not too well known, which fitted Vi's and Jayce's needs perfectly. The Piltovians finally retired to a small restaurant that had popped up only recently, called "Z's Cafe", where they ordered their dinner and chatted idly. When their food arrived, however, the waitress accidentally slipped and the two could only watch, dismayed, as their meal clattered to the floor. The door to the kitchen banged open, and the chef ran out, yelling, "You okay?" He seemed oddly familiar to Jayce... his height, stature, and even voice were reminiscent of... it couldn't be.

"Z-Zed?" Jayce stuttered. The chef stiffened and glanced up at Jayce, and then helped the shaken waitress off the floor, leading her to the bathroom.

"I apologize for the mess," the chef said coolly. "I will have your meal brought out shortly, with full compensation."

With that, he hurriedly left to grab some mops, looking quite nervous indeed.

"What's that all about?" Vi asked Jayce, looking curiously at the frowning inventor.

"Where I'm from, Zed destroyed the Kinkou Order and pretty much set out to gather an army and do who knows what," Jayce explained in a low voice. "And here, he's just a chef?"

"Zed was a League champion, too," Vi replied. "He was actually the head of Kinkou... and even stopped the Crimson Elite from destroying his temple when Noxus occupied that part of Ionia."

Jayce blinked at the new information. Though he thought it constantly, the new timeline he'd stepped into was truly strange. "Why is he a chef, then?" Jayce hissed.

"I suspect that after the fall of the League, he hid himself to prevent Noxus from destroying him and the order," Vi suggested with a shrug. "But that can wait," she added as Zed appeared once more, bearing fresh dishes as promised.

He set them down in front of the ravenous pair, a small, tight smile on his face. As he prepared to go, however, he leaned down and whispered in Jayce's ear, "I'd be careful if I were you." Zed straightened up and walked away as if nothing had happened, but the venom in his words made Jayce shiver.

"What was that?" Vi asked, gulping down her soup. "I've never seen you so pale."

"Whom was I commanding?" Jayce asked suddenly, his appetite completely drained.

"What?" Vi blinked, slowly setting her spoon down.

"When I was Commander, whom was I commanding?" he said insistently.

"You were the leader of the Crimson - oh," Vi's face paled as well.

"But during our battle, they didn't say anything-" Jayce started.

"Of course they didn't!" she interrupted impatiently. "Once you were considered an enemy of Noxus, did you think they'd consider you someone even worth acknowledging? And now you've revealed yourself to Zed... ugh, this day just gets worse and worse."

Vi scowled down at her half-finished bowl of soup as Jayce stared hesitantly down at his own plate of rice, pork, and vegetables. "Do you think it's poisoned?" he whispered.

"Knowing Zed, it could be," Vi muttered. She finally picked up her spoon and started finishing her soup, a black look on her face the entire time.

"Well then, why are you still eating?" Jayce probed, leaning back and crossing his hands over his chest.

"I had no affiliation with Noxus at the time that they invaded Ionia," Vi shrugged. "I may as well eat and not waste any of our money."

The inventor sighed and glanced down at his own meal. By now, it was cold, but Jayce knew he still had to eat something. As he took the first bite, neither he nor Vi noticed that the patrons had slowly slipped out one at a time, leaving the place empty.

"Jayce," Vi said suddenly. "I've been wanting to tell you something. It involves-" In the middle of her thought, she groaned and put her hand on her forehead as sweat started to drip down her face. "Shit," she was able to utter before she tumbled to the floor.

Jayce quickly stopped eating and spit out the rest of the meat onto his plate, and hurriedly rushed over to where Vi had fallen. "Hey," he called anxiously, bending down and shaking Vi's limp, body. "C'mon, get up. If I have to carry you you'll never live it down..."

"She won't wake up for a while," Zed's voice came from in front of them. Jayce gritted his teeth and looked up to see the former ninja watching them with cold, yellow eyes.

"What did you put in there?" he demanded.

"Don't worry, it's not poison," Zed assured him. "And it doesn't matter anyway... you'll be in the same state soon."

Indeed, Jayce could feel a fog slowly creeping up inside his brain, and as the world around him wavered, he slurred, "Why are you..." before he, too, collapsed, and Zed gave a small smile of satisfaction.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Uhhh so this chapter contains kind of graphic violence? Not like super in-depth but you may still cringe if you have a weak heart like me :D I BLAME MY FRIEND (who shall remain unnamed due to me being a GOOD friend - you know who you are e.e) and don't worry, some action will happen soon :) Anyway, enjoy chapter 2~**

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_"I love you," a sweet voice murmured into Jayce's ear. "I would never let you go." Her presence was pure warmth, warmth that wrapped itself around him and held him tight. _

_"I love you too," Jayce breathed back, unaware that as he basked in the heat, it began to crush him, squeezing, pressing in on him, suffocating-_

"Gah," Jayce gasped as his eyes flew open. His chest heaved up and down as he blinked, trying to adjust to the relative darkness. _Oh yeah,_ he thought. _Zed._

He scowled as he glanced down at his situation - one that seemed all too familiar. Jayce was strapped down in a chair: wrists bound behind him, ankles tightly roped to the chair's legs. He suspected that Vi was in a similar state, not that he could do much.

"Well, now that you're awake," Zed began airily, stepping forward into a patch of moonlight that shone in from the window to his left.

"What is it that you want from me?" Jayce demanded, although he had an inkling of what it was.

"_Commander_ Jayce," Zed spat the words with such pure malice that Jayce repressed a shudder. "When I drove you from my home, I did not expect you to follow through all the way here. In fact, Noxus gave you a mission to completely exterminate the remnants of the Kinkou Order after your first failure, am I correct?"

"That's not right at all," Jayce answered coldly. "And I'm not the one you think I am."

"Please," Zed closed his eyes. "Do you expect me to fall for Ionian clothes and some contacts? Your presence still reeks of corruption and bloodlust. You disgust me."

"You don't even know that Noxus collapsed? I was there, fighting against Noxus and the Crimson Elite," he snarled back, beginning to become frustrated at his inability to prove what he was saying.

"And you try to sway me with petty lies. Noxus may have fallen, but that doesn't mean you aren't still one of them," Zed's eyes flew open with his own anger. "When you attacked our temple, we lost one hundred and thirty two disciples, forty-two of which were mere children beginning their training. I'm here to tell you, _Commander,_ that you will get the slow, painful death you deserve, and I'll make that girlfriend of yours watch."

The ninja watched bemusedly as his captive leaned his head back and started laughing, a humorless sound full of empty mirth. "You think that's some random chick I picked up?" Jayce shot back, still chuckling. "It's Vi, so why don't you ask yourself exactly what she and I are doing here."

Zed's eyebrows shot up at the new information. He hadn't even recognized her... no, he couldn't let himself be taken in by the lies. "Your facades will not save you now," Zed snarled, berating himself for second-guessing his decision. He unsheathed a knife and walked up to Jayce, who stared back at him stonily.

"It will hurt," Zed hissed softly. "And-"

"Jayce!"

Zed froze Vi's voice penetrated the air. "Zed, you bastard, don't touch him! He's not the one you're thinking of! Zilean! Zilean made him time travel!"

"How impertinent," he scowled, turning away from his prey for a moment. The ninja strode over to Vi, who was apparently bound in the same way as Jayce, but in a dark corner of the room that they were held in. "Now listen, Vi or whoever you are," he kneeled down to glare at her in the eye. "You'll hold your tongue and just watch him die. Since you have no part in his crimes, I will let you go alive, but remember this... the Kinkou will rise."

"You idiot!" Vi snarled, shaking the chair back in forth as she struggled to free herself. "I'm telling the truth! That Jayce doesn't even know anything! You're just acting on some sadistic revenge plot. I don't know how you Kinkou normally approach things, but I'm pretty sure that murder isn't one of them!"

Zed merely smiled and stood back up, making sure to show Vi the sharp, glinting knife he held in his left hand. "I'm sorry in advance if this scars you," he said as he walked back over to Jayce, who'd merely been watching their exchange from afar.

"You don't understand," Jayce started as he watched Zed's face slip into one of cruel, fathomless rage. "I-I really-" A scream pierced the room as Zed dug his knife into Jayce's hand without warning, pain exploding throughout his left arm.

"I haven't even begun," Zed hissed, yanking the knife out and watching blood spill over from the wound. "As the head of the Kinkou Order, I now deliver justice for your crimes against Ionia and the people of Valoran."

He gave Jayce a shallow cut across the cheek, the blade barely skimming his skin. "Just listen," he panted, knowing that he had to find something to convince Zed about who he was.

"I don't think you're really in any position to talk," he snarled, his rage forcing him to stab deep into Jayce's right shoulder, drawing another agonized cry.

"Zed!" Vi cried from her corner, gritting her teeth. Due to the dim lighting, she was unable to make out how badly injured Jayce was, but she knew that Zed had gone completely mad; he had been consumed by revenge. She desperately flipped throughout the memories in her mind; there had to be something to get him to stop.

By now, Jayce had blood running freely from the numerous cuts on his body; his clothes had been shredded and he could feel himself going faint as a steady _plip, plop _signaled the arrival of his blood to the floor. And still, Zed was staring at him with those maniacal eyes. Even as his pain faded to a dull, throbbing feeling of misery, Jayce opened his mouth again. "Sorry... I'm sorry."

The rage in Zed's eyes faded as he blinked at the words. "What?" he narrowed his eyes; he knew for sure that Jayce, as a true commander of Noxus, would never say something so absurd.

"What that Jayce had done... it really must have been too painful," he rasped. "But I am not the one who did those crimes. I can tell you everything, just please... let me."

Zed felt another wave of anger broil up within him; even after all that, he was just spewing bullshit? He raised his arm and slammed the blade through Jayce's thigh, but all that resulted was a weak moan of pain.

"If you're... going to kill me..." the injured man groaned, struggling to stay conscious, "Why would I lie... now?"

"Please," Vi ignored the embarrassment of begging, "Please listen. That Jayce came from an alternate timeline where Caitlyn died. He was a native Piltovian who would've done anything for his city, and when Noxus took over everything except Piltover, he got captured while trying to save it. Things happened and Caitlyn died, so Jayce found Zilean, who transported him to our time, at the expense of his own life. Don't you remember?" Vi added weakly. "Our Zilean died too... due to mysterious causes. It was the same time Jayce came to our time."

Zed paused. It was too intricate a story to make up, and certainly, now that he thought about it closely, Jayce wasn't acting like a normal Noxian Commander usually would. Had he really gone too far...?

"Tch," the ninja scowled, tossing the blade aside. He lifted Jayce's head by the chin, forcing the injured man to look him in the eyes. Beyond the hazel contacts, he could make out the light blue, hazed over with pain but still bearing a clear desperation for Zed to believe that he was telling the truth.

"I will not simply accept you as an innocent man," Zed turned away, and Jayce's chin dropped to his chest at the sudden movement. "You will always be in the form of the one who murdered those I loved. But it seems that I cannot punish you any further if your mind is not the same of the Jayce I knew."

Vi breathed a sigh of relief; at least he wouldn't be hurt anymore. "Can you get him some medical assistance, then?" she piped up. "If he bled to death now..."

The ninja glared at her, and then turned back to Jayce, whose eyelids were flickering as he tried to keep himself awake. "I will," he finally said, as the Piltovian at last surrendered into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Soooo I'm visiting my sis and have a lot of time to write. Expect more chapters soon! :) Enjoy!**

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It took a month for the deepest wound, the stab in the leg, to heal enough for Jayce to hobble around on crutches. He had been lucky - Soraka had been on her way to visit the Monastery and Vi had managed to catch her as she left the village. The terror of that day, however, was still fresh in both their minds.

"Well hurry up!" Vi snarled as Zed untied her. "He needs medical attention now!"

"I said I would," Zed snapped, "But who's going to perform first aid now? You, with your clumsy fists? Go to the village and find the doctor. You know where he lives."

VI shoved herself out of the chair, rubbing her wrists and glaring heavily at the ninja. "You're damn lucky he's not dead," Vi hissed. "If he were-"

"If you have time to make idle threats, you should probably spend it on helping him," Zed interrupted.

She scowled, and then ran out of the door, a stream of curses running from her mouth. She took a left and pounded up the stairs to emerge in a small kitchen. The front door lay to its right, and she wrenched open the door and ran out. Vi emerged, not in the village as she expected, but in the forest. Trees surrounded the entire house, and only a thin, beaten path showed the way back to the village. Vi was barely able to see the dirt trail through the dim moonlight that managed to trickle in through the leaves above, but as she finally entered the empty square, she saw a familiar figure in the distance.

_This is way too good to be true_, Vi thought as, panting, she ran her way up to Soraka.

"Soraka," Vi gasped, and the silhouette turned around in surprise. The Starchild's yellow eyes shone brightly through the darkness, taking in Vi's ragged state and the expression of desperation upon her face.

"Lead the way," she intoned.

Not a single word was said as Vi turned back around and rushed all the way to Zed's house. Soraka quickly picked up her pace as she fully took in the urgency in Vi's step. When they reached the isolated building, Soraka narrowed her eyes. "This is Zed's residence," she said aloud, not really a question.

Vi nodded. "Please help my friend. He's injured."

Soraka stepped over the threshold and made her way through the house. She went through the door in the kitchen and down the stairs to Zed's basement. The Starchild's eyes widened when she saw the limp form of Jayce, and she quickly rushed over, not noticing Zed leaning against the wall in the corner.

She surveyed the numerous gashes with a healer's eye and then placed her hand over the deep cut in his leg. A bright, luminescent light seemed to emanate from her palm and into the wound. Before their eyes, the wound stopped bleeding and slowly closed up. Vi breathed a sigh of relief, believing that he would make a quick recovery as Soraka went to his other wounds and treated them the same way.

Unfortunately, that wouldn't be the case.

"He will need a while to heal," Soraka told them as she turned back to face them. "I may have stopped the bleeding and closed the wounds, but true healing is done by the body itself. It was lucky that the wound in his leg did not reach any arteries, or he would be dead now. I would recommend keeping him in bed for a week, and after that, slowly reconditioning him to walk. His hand, too, will be unusable due to pain for that time."

Vi's eyes flashed at the news; she and Jayce, though seemingly out of danger for 5 years, had always been prepared to run if police or bounty hunters arrived. "This is your fault," she turned on Zed, whom Soraka finally noticed.

"Did... you do this?" Soraka whispered to the Ionian.

He sighed deeply. "It was my doing, yes. I was blinded by emotion. I do not deserve to be the head of Kinkou, but right now, I have other news that is more pressing. When Jayce wakes up, I will fill all of you in."

As it turned out, it wasn't until a day later that Jayce woke, with pain still running throughout his entire body. He had been situated in a decently sized bed, with a jug of water on the nightstand to his right. He looked around, and saw Vi, snoring in a chair next to his bed. Jayce stared at her for a while, oddly touched by her worry.

At that moment, the door to his room swung open, revealing Zed and Soraka. The ninja glanced at the sleeping Vi with a peculiar expression of sadness, which faded away quickly as the Piltovian officer woke up. He cleared his throat, and with that, begun his tale.

* * *

_5 years ago, after the battle with the Crimson Elite_

_Katarina groaned once more as she lay in fetal position on the dirt floor of the Fleshing Arena. Ashe hadn't been kidding when she said that an arrow to the stomach was one of the most painful ways of dying. Kat knew that she couldn't take it out; that would only quicken her impending doom. With bleary eyes, she focused on the form of Swain, his lifeless body pinned to a rock._

_The Piltovians had gathered their own dead and rushed out, eager to proclaim their victory to Valoran and help the injured. Not a single glance was given to the bodies of Xin, Katarina, Talon, or any of the other fallen Noxians, with the exception of Kennen. Kat sneered at the arrogance of the Piltovians: surely they believed that they could count Noxus' dead later, after theirs had been taken care of._

_What Kat didn't know at the time, however, was that this would prove to be the beginning of a Noxian takeover. The true plan._

_Kat blinked as she saw Swain twitch. That couldn't be right. She watched, entranced, as the tyrant's body melted away, leaving only a silver bolt trapped in the rock. What had previously been Swain's shadow rose up from the ground, revealing a grinning LeBlanc. This was beyond Katarina's hope. Their leader was still alive._

_At that moment, LeBlanc fixed her gaze onto Kat, who could feel the pain in her body beginning to dull with the onset of death. Before her lids fell over her eyes, LeBlanc suddenly seemed to be standing right next to her, hauling her up, whispering, "I still have use for you."_

* * *

"Katarina herself told of LeBlanc's deception - through video, of course. It was sent to Piltover, as well as Bandle City and Demacia's provisional governments. At the end of the story was simply a poem:

Thorns of night, we come

Prepared to dip your bodies

In our ebony poison,

Twisting and haunting

Your steps, for

Noxus shall rise again.

Obviously it's a threat, and it's also no secret that LeBlanc is the leader of The Black Rose. What we do not know, however, is their agenda and when they will strike," Zed finished with a grave look at the other three in the room.

"If Caitlyn or Piltover is in danger, I'm not going to stay still," Jayce declared, his eyes shining with anger at the proclamation of Noxus. "I'll just-"

"Just what?" Zed retorted coldly. "You're in no condition to be doing anything, much less trying to take on a secret organization that has survived for decades, remaining in secrecy and making elaborate plans despite the investigations of Vayne."

"Yeah, and I have you to thank for that," Jayce hissed back. "I need to go back to Piltover."

"Jayce, listen," Vi said. "You know that you can't help anyone in your state. I think we should stay here until you're healed, and then we can think about how to go around Valoran without being seen."

He bit his lip, frustrated but knowing that they were both right. "Fine," he finally conceded with an angry sigh.

"I will help with your treatment," Soraka chimed in gently, "But I must leave this place tonight - tomorrow is my actual meeting with the monks of the Monastery."

"Thank you Soraka," Jayce said gravely, clenching his fists around the blanket. "I won't risk ever losing my home to Noxus again."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: It's been a long time, I'm sorry . I promise I'm still writing, but I got caught up with... you know, league and school. But mostly league. Anyway... cough. I'd like to thank the friend of mine who has been supporting me throughout this entire thing, and during Vengeance :3 THE SAME ONE WHO MADE ME TORTURE JAYCE AOFHADOIFHDO:GHEAO:G:OG :AO:FAOFHG :GODIEINAHOLE - enjoy the new chapter. :)**

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After five years, they were finally going back home. The thought alone was daunting enough for the two to feel more than a little apprehensive. But the threat was too big to stay in hiding… even if they were wanted, even if they were risking their lives, it wasn't anything different than what they'd faced before. After another month of preparations as Jayce regained his normal walking functions, he, Vi, and Zed agreed to go back to the mainland. The trouble had been convincing the ninja to follow along; though Zed knew that The Black Rose had ascended, he had maintained for a while that it was really none of his business. It wasn't until Soraka came back from her visit to the Monastery and sternly reminded him that this would affect the balance of good and evil in Valoran that he grudgingly agreed to help them out.

"And no hard feelings about uh… the injuries right?" Zed indicated Jayce's still-bandaged thigh.

"No, I get it," he assured him for the umpteenth time. "It's fine, really."

During the four weeks, news had poured in even to this remote village. Rumble, who had unexpectedly assumed the position of provisional leader of repairs for Bandle City, had faced a number of assassination attempts. As had Caitlyn, but both she and the yordle had driven them back. No native Demacian champion had survived the Noxian conquest, Vayne having died against the Crimson Elite, and so Ezreal had overlooked the rebuilding of the once-great city-state. He also shut down the Black Rose's attempts on his life – for it was obvious that LeBlanc and Swain were behind the attacks.

The previously underground organization of sorcerers had made their presence very well known – in addition to the killing attempts, rumors of government infiltration in Piltover and the sacking of small villages on the outskirts of Bandle City began to spread around.

"They are creating fear in hopes of controlling the still-scarred continent," Soraka said grimly. "And it's working. We must stop them before Valoran is incapable of both recovering from the previous war and handling this new threat."

"I wonder," Vi's face was stony as she scanned the newspaper below, "How long they've been planning this."

"Knowing Swain, he's been preparing for decades," Jayce said. "The timing is too good. It's like he expected them to lose the war… or if he didn't, that he had this as a backup plan."

"It's been my suspicion that Swain has always thought of the Black Rose before the High Command," Zed chimed in. "Master tactician that he is, there's no way he'd stay under the League's confines. The Black Rose had much more power to act in secrecy."

And so the days had dragged on, with only bad news coming in, until the day finally came for the three to leave. Soraka had point-blank refused to use her abilities for war, choosing instead to stay in Ionia. "Thanks for taking care of my leg," Jayce thanked her as they prepared to leave.

"It was the least I could do," the Starchild replied with a smile. "Best of luck to all of you… may your paths be blessed with light."

"If only the road we walked were so easy," Zed sighed deeply. "I'll miss this place."

"You have so many emotions for the head of the Kinkou," Vi teased him with a foxy smirk.

"We do still have emotions," Zed said as dignified as he could. "We simply don't let them get in the way."

"Oh, stop, and come on," Jayce interrupted as Vi opened her mouth to retort.

They made their way to a port, which held a ship that would lead them straight to Piltover. For a long time, Jayce and Vi had debated whether or not to tell Caitlyn. In the end, they decided the risk of interception was too great, and she'd simply have to be pleasantly surprised by their presence in the very city that had put the highest bounty on their heads.

"Your disguise won't fool anybody, by the way," Zed told Jayce wryly as they stepped into their cabin on the ship. "Your face is too iconic."

"I'll… wear a hood?" he chuckled nervously. "I think, in any case, that we could always run if people get a little too zealous."

"It'll be problematic to have to deal with both the Black Rose and with bounty hunters," the ninja said as he sat down on one of the lower bunks. "You'll need official protection. And that's where I come in."

Both Jayce and Vi glanced at each other and then back at him bemusedly, obviously not comprehending. Zed sighed exasperatedly, wondering how exactly they were supposed to do anything if they couldn't understand him. "I'll act as, I suppose you could say, an ambassador from Ionia. Since I've stayed hidden for so long, no one will question who I am. I've already forged the documents and everything. The story is that you have sought asylum in Ionia."

"There's no way that's going to work," Jayce said at the same time Vi blurted, "You forged something? Isn't that really un-ninjalike?"

Rather amused, Zed only replied, "If you don't like it, why don't you come up with something?"

"No, no, we have nothing better, anyway," Jayce sighed. "Let's just hope it works."

For the rest of the voyage, the three ironed out the little details, staying up to perfect all parts of their plan. When the "Land ho!" call came, they were fully prepared to see things out to the end, no matter what happened.

"Finally back home," Jayce murmured as he stepped off the ship with a hood pulled low over his face, not that it mattered – the night air was penetrated only slightly by the hazy half-moon above. "It's really been way too long."

"You can get caught up with nostalgia later," Vi shoved his shoulder playfully, although her own eyes were full of wistfulness as she looked up at her birth city. Her disguise had worked well enough against Zed, and she remained uncloaked.

Zed paid the ship captain and had a hurried conversation with him, glancing over at the two Piltovians, who were too busy reminiscing to notice him. "I'll meet you tomorrow night, then," he finished his business, slipping more money to the captain.

Zed walked back over to Vi and Jayce. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Do you even need to ask?" Vi smirked, hoisting her bags up. "I've missed the taste of cupcakes."

* * *

Caitlyn was hunched down over a stack of papers in her office, sighing heavily as she finished the crime reports and began to sign a variety of requests. Her eyelids began to sag, and more than once, she shook her head to keep herself awake. Suddenly, a knock on her door made her sit straight up, eyes bright and alert. "Yes?" she called out.

Her door opened and a junior officer came in and said, "An ambassador from Ionia here to see you, with two companions."

Caitlyn frowned slightly; she didn't remember making such an appointment.

"Is something wrong? Should I not let them in?" her assistant said anxiously.

"No, it's nothing. See them in," the sheriff answered, her brow wrinkled in confusion.

Cait sat back in her chair, exhaustion running through her entire body. What kind of ambassador came so late at night, and with no appointment? Perhaps the Black Rose had infiltrated Ionia as well, and it was an emergency? She struggled to force herself to focus.

Cait quickly gathered herself into a more businesslike demeanor, folding her hands over themselves and placing them on her desk, and leaned slightly forward. She watched apprehensively as the ambassador arrived, followed by two others she didn't recognize: a tall man cloaked with a hood pulled over his face, and a blonde with long hair, who for some reason, was looking at her with the strangest expression.

"Welcome to Piltover," Caitlyn greeted the trio. "Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable. You must've had a long journey. What can I do for you?"

"Sheriff Caitlyn," the ambassador dipped his head politely. "I bring good and bad news with me."

She nodded. "Good news at all is very welcome. Bad news... we've gotten used to it."

"The bad news is that as ever, Ionia itself refuses to involve itself in the affairs of the mainland," he informed her.

This surprised Cait. "I don't think such news is worth such a lengthy trip," she said carefully. "Then the good news?"

He smiled. "I will let my two guests tell you themselves."

She looked expectantly at them, and watched in astonishment as Jayce took off his hood and greeted her with a tentative smile, and Vi scrubbed the makeup that had been covering the tattoo on her face off.

"Y-you guys..." she whispered, her heart pounding. Out of everything she could have possibly imagined, never would she have expected Vi and Jayce to come back. She slowly stood from her chair and walked around her desk as if in a dream.

Unable to hold herself back any more, Vi launched herself at Caitlyn, pushing their mouths together with such impassioned, desperate need that both Jayce and Zed tactfully looked away.

The inventor, however, turned aside with a face full of melancholy, remembering anew that he would never share that kind of closeness with Caitlyn again. "Let's give them some time," he murmured softly, and the two quietly left Caitlyn's office, leaving the two girls alone to repair their last five years apart.


End file.
